An ounce of prevention…

Prevention–not what you think

What comes to mind when we think of prevention?  Wash your hands? Take your vitamins?  Be aware of your surroundings?  Perhaps invest in some self-defense courses?  Or even a firearm?  These are reasonable steps many may take in the name of prevention.  

But they are not what I will discuss here. 

Prevention as you see has many faces.  What I’m going to discuss is going to be a little far-reaching for many.  So I will start with familiar territory, then tread a little further. 

When we meet someone who appears or has treated us less than favorably, our 1st reaction is to meet hostility with hostility.  If we experience less than ideal customer service, we want to complain.  Where does prevention fit in here?  Instead of “fighting fire with fire” perhaps see what is not so apparent.  Easier said than done?  You bet it is, especially for me.  What may not be so apparent, is the the frustration behind this poor customer service.  Even if not visible in the immediate, was there a long line?  Did someone treat this cashier poorly before you arrived?  Perhaps your preventative act of not reacting or better yet, reaching out with a kind word, will prevent someone else from receiving the service you want to report.  It could also stem the tide of flow–perhaps from something more serious.  This could mean loss of job or worse, some type of physical retailiation for rude customer service.

Yes, easier said than done.  And I can’t always say I went this route.  But I’m willing to try.  

This next type of prevention cannot really be categorized.

ONE LIFE, ONE LAW.

This is something I remind myself of before I venture out. 

Before I drive, I remind myself there is only one driver on the road.  There is only one pedestrian, one cyclist, etc.  There is only ONE LIFE.  That life is the life of God.  Divine, Infinite Intelligence, whatever you want to call IT.  Acknowledging this is protective work or prevention.  One driver, one intelligence.  Not yours, not mine, not “the other guy.”

That is real prevention. 

If any of this resonates with you, differences will be seen. Storms may start to quell. Abiding in this, living with it, will show you a life far different from the one you are living.  One where “what you see is what you get,” takes on a whole different meaning. If you sow to the appearance of what you see, that’s exactly what you will get. If you learn to turn away from what is presenting, well that’s when the real adventure begins.

How does it happen? When can these effects achieve?

My reply is this. As with any education, how bad do you want it? Not just the “goodies” but an entirely different way of life? Are you willing to sacrifice your present way? Career? Friends or family who think you just aren’t the same person?

Rewards are deep & steep. But so may be what you have to let go. This mode of living excises everything unlike itself. IT IS the destroyer and life preserver all in one. 

I am not the originator of this concept. 

I have been a student of the INFINITE WAY for many years. This is not an organized religion. It is a way of life. It was started by a man who began in Christian Science. He later became a transparency for a different way; an INFINITE WAY. His name was JOEL GOLDSMITH. I’ll leave it to you, the reader, to find out more about him. Quite a fascinating journey.

In the meantime, what prevents you from embarking on YOUR JOURNEY?  Is it fear? You may have attained a different vision just as Joel did.  Are you lacking the courage to follow it?  I have been at times. Prevention for me in this context was not positive. It was keeping me at bay. When we do this, it can keep us safe.  But it can also keep us from moving forward.

How do we distinguish between the two preventions? In some ways it’s easy.  In others, the lines can become blurred.

If you’re remotely familiar with the INFINITE WAY, you realize judging by appearances keeps you just where you are.  Circumstances have little chance to flip. But even if this is the first time you’ve heard of these teachings, you know better than to judge a book by its cover. Content is what matters. So what does this have to do with prevention?  In any form? 

Prevention gives us an opportunity to accept, reject, or mitigate. You can accept that washing your hands prevents the spread of disease and bacteria. You can also accept that this same act if not repeated three times, while saying certain prayers will bring destruction on your head. Where does prevention fit here? What tone does it take on now?

Unless you reject certain theories or ideologies coming to you for acceptance, prevention keeps you from living a full life–just as our example illustrates.

Safety, security, abundance, understanding–we all want these things. What price do we pay for them? Is it letting go of the safety & security we know now? Is it letting go at least a little, of a worn out belief system? Is it taking a chance in a new direction? 

Only we can decide–in that month, in that week, in that moment. Breathe that breath & realize that there is a now. Make PAST & FUTURE the NOUNS of your life. Make the present a NOWN. NOW I OWN. I OWN NOW.